The following statement is from Glenn Sugameli, who founded in 2001 and still heads the environmental community’s Judging the Environment project and website on federal judicial nominations and related issues:

“As Senators left town until November 15, continuing obstruction by Senate Republicans ensured that the judicial vacancy crisis will worsen.Anonymous Senate Republican roadblocks have prevented votes on every nominee to the federal bench for at least another month and a half, regardless of need, bi-partisan support, and qualifications.

“Unprecedented, blanket, secret holds (filibuster threats) by Senate Republicans are unjustifiably denying Floor votes to every one of the 23 pending judicial nominees who was approved by the Judiciary Committee.”

“Republican obstruction blocks all nominees who would fill judicial emergencies, all of those with home-state Republican Senator support, and all of those consensus nominees who were approved without opposition in Committee months ago.

“Justice delayed has become justice denied as federal judicial vacancies have soared to over 100, and those that the U.S. Courts has declared to be “judicial emergencies” have multiplied from 20 to 48.